When Chukwuebuka Callistus Nkwocha stood before more than 50 students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on May 18, 2026, he was not just teaching a workshop. He was showing them what is possible.


Nkwocha, a doctoral candidate in Biochemistry at the University of New Hampshire, is an alumnus of EducationUSA's Opportunity Funds Program (OFP), which helps talented students with financial need cover the upfront costs of applying to U.S. universities. He returned to Nigeria to lead "Artificial Intelligence for STEM Research," hosted by EducationUSA Lagos at the newly commissioned Window on America at UNILAG.


Bringing the Lab to the Lecture Hall

Drawing on his own experience as a researcher in the United States, Nkwocha guided participants through four American-developed AI platforms that are changing how scientists find, read, and write about research:

  • Elicit, an AI research assistant that speeds up literature reviews and helps synthesize evidence across studies
  • NotebookLM by Google, which lets researchers interact with and summarize their own source documents
  • Semantic Scholar by the Allen Institute for AI, a free search engine indexing more than 200 million academic papers
  • ChatGPT by OpenAI, for brainstorming, research writing, and data analysis


Rather than a lecture, the session was hands-on. Students practiced using each tool on real research tasks, gaining skills they can apply immediately to their coursework, theses, and future careers in science.


Using AI Responsibly

Alongside the practical training, Nkwocha emphasized the ethical use of AI in academic settings, encouraging students to treat these tools as research partners that support, rather than replace, critical thinking and original work.


An Exchange Investment Paying Off

Nkwocha's journey is a clear example of the impact of U.S. exchange programs. Supported through OFP to pursue graduate study in the United States, he is now sharing the knowledge and skills he gained with the next generation of Nigerian scientists.

The workshop was the second in EducationUSA Lagos's growing AI literacy series. It also reflected the goals of America's AI Action Plan and the Freedom 250 celebration of American innovation, highlighting U.S. leadership in AI and the United States as a trusted partner for Nigeria's technology-driven growth.